The Student Travel Tips You Need To Know
Travelling is one of life’s great adventures, so buckle up for travel tips that will help you on your journey.
If you’re someone who dreams of jet setting around the world, country-hopping in Europe or discovering more of the UK, then you’re in the right place. When you’re a student, travelling can seem out of reach, but with some budgeting and money management, the world can be your oyster.
So we’ve got this guide for you, full of our top travel tips, from solo travelling adventures to studying abroad and saving money for your next trip. Let’s dive right in.
In this article:
Top travel tips
If you’re someone that likes to be organised when it comes to travelling, then we’ve got you covered. Planning your adventures is an exciting time, but it’s surprising how the costs can rack up, especially if you’re headed on more than one trip. Our travel tips can help you plan your holidays and keep the costs to a minimum.
1. Research the best time of year to travel
This will depend on where in the world you want to travel to – but it’s definitely a good idea to figure out the high and low seasons in different countries you want to explore. Some low seasons might include monsoon, hurricanes or other extreme weather, so bear this in mind when deciding where to go.
2. Package vs booking individually?
For just one trip, it’s always worth finding out whether a package holiday (with flights, hotels and transfers included) is more cost effective than booking these individually. This might not be entirely helpful if you’re planning to hop around countries, but a little bit of research can save you hundreds when you’re travelling.
The benefits of a package holiday mean you have ATOL protection, which you won’t usually have if you book individually. But for uber flexibility, like the free spirit you are, booking individually can help you get the holiday of your dreams.
3. Travel insurance
Speaking of ATOL protection (no, we’ve never said that before either), a boring but essential bit of kit for your travel plans should include a good travel insurance policy. It’s easy to think it might never happen to you, but if you’re a victim of theft, or your luggage goes missing, or a hotel cancels your stay, it’s better to be protected. Without it, you could be left without a chunk of change that could help keep you afloat when you’re abroad.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t shop around and find the best deal on a travel policy, or check out our student discounts for travel to get an excellent price. It’ll keep you covered so you don’t have to stress about it.
4. Think about packing your bags
Sometimes bags get lost when you’re travelling. It’s pretty inevitable unless you only ever travel with hand luggage – and there’s no guarantee these won’t get checked anyway. So think about this when you’re packing your bags. Keep a phone charger, important travel documents, medication and maybe a spare pair of pants too in your hand luggage.
This just means that if your checked bag goes missing, you won’t be without anything essential. If you want to carry medication in your hand luggage then you may need a doctor’s note, but totally worth it if you don’t want to be caught short.
5. Cancellation policies
We might sound like a broken record here. But cancellation policies are worth their weight in gold. If you’re travelling around and booking as you go, then it’s not so pressing – but for those bucket list trips that you want to book a year in advance, it’s definitely worth making sure the hotel or holiday you’re booking includes free cancellation.
Life happens sometimes, and if it does, you don’t want to be out of pocket.
6. Give your family a heads up
If you’re headed on your gap year on the adventure of a lifetime, it’s easy to get caught up in how much fun you’re having. But if you even have a rough itinerary of where you’re going, flight times, hotel details, then share them with your parents or trusted friends. Your parents would probably really appreciate understanding even an inkling of your movements (but maybe leave out the finer details of the full moon parties…).
7. Tell your bank
Picture this: you step off the train in your first destination in Europe. Beautiful landscapes and an exciting buzz in the city awaits you. You go in search of coffee (because duh). But your card gets declined. For no reason. Now what?!
Don’t let that be you. Most banks now won’t block your card when you head abroad, but it’s so quick and easy to give them a heads up that you’re abroad – some banks even let you do this on their app.
Types of travelling and top travel tips
There’s lots of different ways to explore and travel the world, so if you’re thinking about heading out to take on a new adventure, we’ve got tips for lots of different styles of travel.
Solo travel tips
If you’re a lone ranger and like to do things on your own terms, then solo travel is a great way to make sure you get the most out of your trips. For those who love the thought of country-hopping and exploring lots of different places, then have a look at interrailing.
Travelling by train around Europe is really accessible compared to a lot of places in the world, and it’s a great way to squeeze a lot into a short time. We’ve got a guide on interrailing and how much it costs for all your questions.
If you’re not sure about travelling to lots of different countries, but are keen to hop on a flight to Europe, then our best city breaks to travel to could offer a lot of inspiration.
Studying abroad travel tips
Sometimes, one trip is just not enough. If you’ve travelled a bit but have officially got the Itch – have you ever considered studying abroad?
From exchange programmes to semesters abroad, and even becoming an international student, there’s a study abroad programme for everyone. We’ve got everything you need to know about studying abroad, from what you need to know, how much it costs and top tips from experts.
How to save money on your next holiday or trip
The one thing we can all agree on is that the costs can really add up when you’re going abroad. From flights, to places to stay and even the cost of food and drink. It all adds up. But we’re here to help you save money wherever you can.
So if you want tips on getting free or cheaper airport lounge access, we’ve got you. Or maybe you just need some help on finding out what the best way to change currency and spend money abroad is?
They might not be at the top of your priority list when you’re getting ready for the adventure of a lifetime, but they can really help you when it comes to budgeting. If you can save money where you can, it gives you more spending for more exciting activities you’ll be headed to on your trip.
Generally speaking, it’s always a good idea to try and book ahead to take advantage of the best sales and deals when it comes to booking flights and holidays. But sometimes last minute breaks can come through with excellent prices too – so worth thinking about if you want to take that risk!
If you’re headed to Europe, you might find that the cost of food and drink, especially in city centres, can be high. But you’ll be glad to know that we’re incredibly serious about finding the best deals, which includes where to find the cheapest pints in Europe. You can thank us later.
Is the UK your next destination?
Travelling the world and exploring different cultures is an incredible way to spend your time. But have you ever considered how much beauty and excitement is right on your doorstep? The UK is home to some of the best road trips, from the Jurassic Coast up to the North Coast 500, which makes it perfect for you and your uni besties to plan your summer, especially if you’re spread across the country!
And it might not be the beaches of Thailand, but there are plenty of hidden gems tucked away in the UK that will give you vacay vibes without the stress of travelling. So if your budget is a bit tighter this year, you can still get the holiday feels.
And what’s more – you can use Student Beans travel discounts to save money on public transport, flights, holidays and more.
